​Insights CHAIN

​Every supply chain has its own set of issues to address and goals to meet. Possibly the most challenging of all supply chains is concerned with delivery fresh food from farm to table.

Fresh food needs to be selected and handled with care, processed with precision so that it is attractive (in both looks and taste) to consumers and delivered to customers, all within a tight timeframe. Moreover, when something does go wrong – as it did in Germany in 2011 with a deadly E. Coli outbreak affecting sprouts –detecting the source of the problem and shutting it down quickly is essential to avoid a broad and lengthy shutdown of the entire supply chain.

These are some of the issues discussed in the debut episode of CHAIN REACTIONS, our new educational podcast. We talk with John McGuire of Lineage Logistics, who is an expert practitioner in the fresh food supply chain business. John is also an advocate for blockchain and has a few ideas regarding how the technology, combined with industry standards, could make a positive difference.

Also, stay tuned for deeper research into the food supply chain in our next research brief, and say hello to the Chain Business Insights team in person at the Distributed: Trade conference, taking place in St. Louis on July 24th, where we are presenting some of our findings on the subject and moderating a panel.